Insights with Don Mills and David Campbell- An Acadia Broadcasting Podcast

On this week’s Insights podcast, Don and David speak with Paul Bennett, author of a provocative new book Struggling in Class: A Report Card on Education in New Brunswick. Bennett believes the K-12 school system is in a protracted crisis and failing the current generation of students. He points to the latest PISA scores which place New Brunswick last among the 10 provinces. The book covers a wide range of issues from inclusive education and French Immersion to the growing disparity in rural education outcomes. The Insights podcast is focused on economic development and fostering greater prosperity in our region. The ability of our K-12 education system to turn out graduates that are ready for the modern, complex world is key to that future prosperity. You may not agree with all of Bennett’s conclusions and recommendations but you should listen to what he has to say.

On this week’s Insights podcast, Don talks with David about the Atlantic Economic Panel’s new report Bolder Ambitions: Greater Prosperity for All. After nearly a year of work, the panel sets out a bold agenda focused on population growth, investment attraction, improved regional trade, diversifying international exports growth and other drivers of regional prosperity. Don walks us through the findings and what comes next. 

In this episode of the Insights Podcast, our guest is Ian Thompson, the author of a new book called "Nova Scotia's Lost Century: Can We Change Course". Ian has an interesting background as a journalist, entrepreneur and senior civil servant that he used to help write the book and brings a fresh perspective to the topic as a result. The book is an interesting read that chronicles the decline of Nova Scotia economic fortunes following confederation which the people of the province at the time generally resisted, led by Joe Howe. In our conversation, Thompson's talks about the basis for that resistance and what Nova Scotia was like before and after confederation. He describes the province as  "have nots that wouldn't say yes", providing specific examples of that behaviour and how it has held the province back. He points out examples of success in the province that provide hope for the future and the opportunities to change the direction of the province. For those interested in a better understanding of how Nova Scotia got to its present position, we would highly recommend reading Thompson's book. In the meantime, the podcast provides a good overview of its content.

Our Insights Podcast this week features a conversation with Ryan Mitchell, the CEO of Saint John Energy, one of nine independent municipal electric utilities in Atlantic Canada. Saint John Energy was created in 1922  and is owned by the City of Saint John. The company serves 38,000 customers and has a staff of 125. About 85% of its power is purchased from NB Power on a wholesale basis, while the remainder is from a ten turbine wind farm owned by a third party. The utility prides itself on its reliability which is ranked amongst the highest in Canada according to Mitchell, partially due to the benefits of having a lot of underground infrastructure. The company offers the lowest rates in Atlantic Canada. The company is in the process of updating its smart meters and Mitchell talks about the future possibility of time of day rates for use to manage peak demand. He also talks about the need for more capacity to support economic development in the Saint John area. The company capital budget in the coming year is about $20 million. This is an interesting look at a mostly unknown segment of the electricity market in the region.

On this week’s Insights podcast, Don and David welcome Susan Chalmers-Gauvin, the founder and CEO of Atlantic Ballet of Canada. This is an impressive entrepreneurial story. Founded in 2001, Susan and creative director Igor Dobrovolskiy built the only professional ballet company east of Montreal through grit and determination. Now, the company is internationally recognized and performing around the world including an upcoming tour in Australia. The ballet company has a $3 million annual budget and supports dozens of artists and creative workers every through its direct payroll and contract workers.Not content with being just another dance company, Susan and Igor have used Atlantic Ballet as a platform for many social issues ranging from raising awareness of domestic violence to the challenges facing new immigrants to Canada. Atlantic Ballet has a strong commitment to Indigenous culture through its Mawiamalga’tijig/Mawokahtine Intercultural Indigenous Dance Program and other initiatives. Just finishing its sixth year, the innovative Ballet by the Ocean brings professional dance to a wider audience and enhances the company’s role as a tourism asset.Don, David and Susan also discuss the broader importance of investing in arts and culture and its role in strengthening communities across Atlantic Canada.